Relax at a real beach in Shanghai's suburbs, Li Yutao reports.

During summer, the Jinshan district, just an hour's drive from downtown Shanghai, might well be the perfect place for a relaxing weekend for harried and hot Shanghainese.

In fact, nature at Jinshan City Beach has been improved on. The beach's golden sand has been imported from China's tropical paradise of Hainan Island. And a powerful water filtration system has been installed to turn the sea into a surprisingly appealing shade of blue.

And with an-almost perpetual light sea breeze, it certainly beats sweating it out in the city.

It is not only Jinshan City Beach that attracts so many visitors during the summer months. The district's cultural heritage, especially its folk art, draws numerous tourists who are keen on Chinese traditional culture.

Jinshan City Beach is located in the south of Jinshan district, facing Hangzhou Bay. The rarely combined view of the city and the natural coastal beauty not only gives mixed feelings of dynamism and relaxation, but also provides both a romantic and lively atmosphere in equal doses.

Jinshan City Beach makes for a pleasant day trip from downtown Shanghai. It certainly ticks all the boxes - you can swim, sunbathe, catch crabs and stroll along the boardwalk. There is even jet-skiing and scuba diving on offer.

On the beach, hordes of young people involve themselves in many activities. There is climbing and bungee jumping, aquatic cycling, beach volleyball, a gymnasium, a small recreation park with carnival rides and, of course, swimming.

The eastern end of the beach is much the quieter, with the popular (and often packed) western end given over all the above-mentioned activities along with thumping techno piped through the loudspeaker system.

At the eastern end of the beach, walking along the sandy shore and dipping your toes into the cool water calms your mood and lets you leave your troubles behind - temporarily, at least.

"Drinking tropical beverages and eating delicious food under colorful beach umbrellas, while listening to the sounds of the waves and feeling the gentle sea breeze brushing against your body - just imagine it!" said a visitor, who was obviously enjoying her trip.

Jinshan City Beach is open from 8:30 am to 8 pm, Sunday to Thursday. On Fridays and Saturdays it opens at 9 am and closes at 9 pm. Entry to the beach is free between October and June, but during the hot summer months from July to September, there is an entrance fee of 30 yuan on weekdays and 50 yuan on weekends.

Because of a lack of pollution, Jinshan is a great place to try seafood. And Jinshanzui Seafood City, a string of seafood restaurants along the boardwalk, is a great place to tempt the taste buds.

Xunbao Seafood Restaurant was the first restaurant to open there and its owners reckon it still the best. It is characterized by fresh abalone. At the eastern end of Seafood City, there are a number of other seafood restaurants worth trying.

Jinshan folk art is becoming more widely known, especially Jinshan peasant paintings. This type painting adapts to the modern aesthetic by using a new from of folk painting, which originated from folk art in the south Yangtze River region.

The new art has also incorporated Chinese traditional embroidery, paper-cuts, sculpture, lacquer painting and other forms of art. There are examples of this art everywhere, even on people's houses. And there are plenty of shops offering this style on souvenirs like painted folding fans and tableware.

You can also explore the waterside scenery of Fengjing town, which is nowhere near as crowded as the more famous water towns found all around the south Yangtze River region.

Visit the Jinfeng Wine Museum to learn about the surprisingly long history of wine in China.

The huge, 34-meter-high copper gate fronting the Donglin Temple hides an equally impressive Buddha image and other magnificent religious architecture.

At the Shiyuan Vineyard during summer, you can pick and eat sweet grapes direct form the vines.

(China Daily 08/20/2010)